Bhopal/Jabalpur, April 30 (IANS) A major rescue operation continued late into Thursday night after a tourist cruise boat capsized in the Bargi Dam reservoir in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district, leaving at least six people dead, 19 rescued, and at least 15 still missing, officials said.

The accident occurred on Thursday evening, around 300 metres from the dam’s embankment, when the Madhya Pradesh Tourism cruise boat carrying around 40 to 45 passengers overturned following a sudden storm accompanied by strong winds.

Bargi City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Anjul Mishra said that the abrupt change in weather conditions caused the vessel to lose balance and sink.

Rescue operations, led by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and other agencies, have been underway since the incident was reported. Despite challenges posed by darkness and intermittent rain, teams continued search efforts using powerful searchlights.

In a significant development, SDRF personnel used gas cutters to breach the hull of the submerged cruise vessel and rescued a passenger who had been trapped inside for nearly three hours. The sunken vessel has since been secured with ropes, and efforts are ongoing to retrieve it from the water.

Officials said that the rescue operation is being carried out on a war footing, with teams conducting coordinated underwater and surface searches to trace the missing passengers.

Yogendra Richhariya, an official from the Tourism Department, said that the ill-fated vessel, built in 2006, had a capacity of 60 passengers and was the only operational cruise boat at Bargi Dam, as the second vessel is currently non-functional.

In response to the tragedy, the district administration has set up a control room at the Collector’s office in Jabalpur to assist families and coordinate information. The helpline number 0761-2624355 has been made operational through the night.

Virendra Singh has been appointed as the in-charge of the control room, and authorities have urged people to use the facility to share or obtain information regarding missing persons and other updates.

Public Works Department Minister Rakesh Singh reached the spot and reviewed the rescue operations.

“Following the tragic cruise accident near Khamariya Island at Bargi Dam, I visited the site to take stock of the situation. The local administration and the SDRF team are actively engaged in relief and rescue operations with great promptness,” he said.

He added: “Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed that financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each be provided to the families of the deceased. Additionally, the state government is making comprehensive arrangements for the medical treatment of the injured.”

“In this difficult time, the government remains fully committed to assisting the affected families with utmost sensitivity. I am personally present at the site, and continuous efforts are being made to ensure that swift relief and every possible assistance reach every victim,” Singh said.

Authorities said that rescue operations will continue overnight as teams intensify efforts to locate the missing passengers.

–IANS

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